Black Business Market celebrates local Black-owned businesses and services in Warren, Ohio

Warren, Ohio (WKBN) — Saturday Warren’s Black Business Marketand a dozen vendors set up early in the summer.

The community gathered at the RBG Eatery in the city.

Candace Dukes, organizer of the Black Business Market, said, “It’s important to provide a space where black businesses, black business owners, and minority business owners can come and showcase their products and services to the community. I felt it,” he said.

The market has been running since 2020 and has expanded in the years since, with food, art and beauty sellers joining, Dukes said.

Lo’Shauna Spivey started Los’ Hair Candy two years ago and just opened a booth on the market this year. She said this is a great opportunity to do more than just sell products. But to the network.

“I’ve met a lot of people who have helped and helped me, not just with hair care products, but with the business itself,” Spivey said.

Vendors from outside the valley also participated.

PJ Hodge is a portrait artist from Akron who calls himself “Portrayals by PJ”. He is red/green colorblind and paints portraits in only black and white.

He said business has really picked up over the past three years. His fiancé is from Warren and encouraged him to come to the market.

“It’s great to see the black community coming together to support each other. But also seeing other people who aren’t part of the black community coming to help is what we’re all exposed to.” So I think it’s even bigger,” said Hodge.

In case you missed this Saturday’s market, it’s happening once a month through September. Next time is Saturday, July 8th.